Gerhart Beilharz was the GermanKriegsmarine expert on snorkels. He was assigned duty as a second engineer onboard the submarineU-30 when that boat was selected to test the first snorkel. Lt. Julius Lemp was not initially impressed by either, privately viewing the need for a second engineer as the same as a fighter plane needing a second propeller on its tail. However, Beilharz was enthusiastic about his new toy and it proved useful on its first cruise, allowing Lemp to sneak up on a British cruiser and sink it.[1]

Beilharz was uncommonly tall, at about 2 meters (6'6") which was especially a problem in the cramped spaces of a U-boat. He had acquired a Stahlhelm helmet from a cousin in the infantry prior to joining the U-30 crew and wore it constantly onboard to prevent himself from accidentally braining himself on a low-hanging pipe or valve if he forgot to duck.[2]

Over time, Lt. Lemp appreciated the snorkel more and more, with it giving his U-boat an underwater approach faster that that on batteries. He began logging it in action reports along with Beilharz's name[3] and was quite willing to do the same when asked by Admiral Karl Dönitz during a face-to face-debriefing.[4]